Henry Casting

If you can't tell, this is the stuff from the last Jezebel open thread. I also had something somewhat lengthy on Princess Victoria, but the next day I realized the source I had used was not the least bit reliable. I feel like there's probably stuff on this blog that's untrue, because as I never tire of saying, I wasn't there. But I think I should at least be able to stand by everything to the extent that I believe it's true and remember getting it from a somewhat reliable source.






Here is the Queen Mother, when she was young and pretty.

There is an evil going on in Hollywood, that I call Henry Casting, after Henry VIII. By the way, if they insist on making Henry VIII young and hot why haven't they tried Rupert Grint? At least he's tall and muscular with red hair.

Henry Casting is when you cast a ridiculously good looking actor who bears no resemblance to a person to play them in a historical film. I can understand getting someone of a similar type, but better looking.

But not this.

You see the lovely young Elizabeth in that photo? In two upcoming movies, she is going to be played by Helena Bonham Carter and Natalie Dormer. Fun fact: both of those actresses have also played Anne Boleyn, who looked nothing like young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon here!

I can understand screwing up with Anne. All we have of her are portraits. But with Elizabeth here, we have a photograph so we know exactly what she looked like as a young woman.

She was a pretty girl, but short and not thin, with a rounded face and strong brow line. She was very pale, with dark hair and bright blue eyes.

Anne Boleyn, by the way, was described by contemporaries as being very thin, average height, flat-chested, and having an olive complexion and very dark brown eyes. Her features were also generally considered sharp rather than soft.

Their personalities were also a bit different, though both were absolutely fierce and not people I'd want to meet in a dark alley. I mean this in the best way possible. There's a certain red-headed Duchess who is still feeling the pain of having crossed the Queen Mother eight years after the latter's death. I wonder how those reality show applications are coming along...